South Carolina African American Tobacco Control Network

Important tobacco facts

Tobacco accounts for more than 6000 deaths each year, with the majority deaths being from lung cancer, heart disease and strokes
Tobacco cost South Carolinians around $1.2 billion in direct health care costs and lost productivity (1995)
In South Carolina there are more than 50,000 middle and high school students who smoke and nearly 15,000 who use smokeless tobacco products

African American as a group do not smoke as heavily but are disproportionately affected with higher death rates from smoking related illnesses with an average of 45,000 dying each year. The National Cancer Institute reports the lung cancer death rate for black men is 105 per 100,000, while the rate for white men is 73 per 100,000
In 1995, about 5.7 million African-Americans adults smoked, with brand of choice being mentholated cigarettes
African-American are targeted at an increased rate by the tobacco industry
Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer mortality killing 90,000 men and 70,000 women annually
Recent studies indicate that nicotine effects the body by increasing bone loss, higher injury rates, longer times for wound to heal, impotence and oxygen deprivation, which is the end result of smoking
Secondhand (ETS) smoke is estimated to cause almost 40,000 deaths annually from heart and blood disease including 3,000 deaths from lung cancer
Between 150,000 and 300,000 who have been exposed to tobacco smoke in their environment are diagnosed each year respiratory tract infections such as pneumonia and bronchitis and asthma attacks and chronic coughing and wheezing